Special Guidance to Special Children

Learn how a teacher can provide guidance to students with disabilities in the classroom and in life in three essential areas. These areas are, education-- to help them improve academically, vocational training or work-- to help them be confident contributors to society and on a personal level-- to encourage them gain security.

Education of special needs children requires special techniques. Educational needs of students with disabilities are different from regular children, therefore teachers must understand the special educational needs of disabled children and construct instructional strategies to address them. Some children may face problems in reading, some in writing, some in learning and others may face problem in expressing their ideas. Teacher should try to help each child with specific educational problems dealing with academic and behavioral performance by using the student's IEP (Individual Education Plan). By developing different curricular activities for different educational concerns, a teacher can provide sufficient guidance and instruction to students with defined special learning needs. Teachers should provide guidance in improving student's reading, study and learning habits. By providing sufficient guidance, teachers can help in the educational adjustment and proper educational development of students with disabilities.

People believe disabled children are dependent on others, but this is not necessarily so. They can be trained to be independent in the classroom and beyond. Teachers can help in providing students with suitable vocational guidance so that they can live their life independently. Teachers can give guidance to them in choosing the right vocational course according to their disability. A teacher can help students with special needs in selecting their vocational course according to their disability and in spite of their disability. The correct selection of training in vocational courses at the right age can help students make a living for themselves later in their professional life beyond high school and vocational training and/or college. Thus, by providing vocational guidance to special needs children, a teacher can help them live independently and with a feeling of personal and professional success.

Special needs children face a lot of emotional, social and psychological problems due to their disability. A teacher can prove to be very helpful to students in providing personal and academic support. Students with disabilities can develop a lot of negative emotions mentally due to their disability. A little help and concern from a teacher can help them stabilize their emotional, social and psychological selves into a more balanced learner in the classroom. Under a teacher's personal guidance, students will feel secure and more engaged in the learning process. Personal teacher guidance can help students with special needs express their feelings and communicate their needs freely in the classroom which will create a more constructive student/teacher engagement and understanding.

Therefore by providing personal guidance to students with disabilities, teachers can effectively help students toward a greater academic and social adjustment to their learning environment.

Source: author's own experience